In the prior art there are many types of containers or boxes used to transport and/or store goods, and such containers or boxes are manufactured from many types of materials. Many of these boxes have lids that used to close the boxes so that their contents are securely contained inside. Such lids attach to the boxes in a manner that they are not easily removed to insure that the contents of the boxes remain securely therein even if the boxes are inverted or dropped.
In one such prior art box shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,860,810 and 2,929,530 the lid has edges with grooves on the inside thereof that are parallel to the top of the lid. The grooves on the lid slide onto mating ridges on the side of and parallel to the top of the box. To insure that the top does not inadvertently slide off, the dimensions of the grooves and mating ridges are such that when the top is fully slid onto the box, there is an interference fit between the grooves and ridges that effectively locks the lid so as not to be easily removed from the box. Such interference fit lids have long been known in the box or container art as may be seen in storage jars with twist off caps. However, an interference fit arrangement sometimes makes it very difficult to thereafter remove the lid from the box or container.
It sometimes is useful to attach an inventory list or other information to the inside of a lid to a box so it may easily be determined what the contents of the storage box are, or what is to be done with the contents of the box. However, if the lid inadvertently becomes separated from the box the inventory list is not readily available to be used for its intended purpose. Thus, it would convenient to have the lid attached to the box in some manner. The previously identified U.S. Patents teach a storage box that has a lid that may be attached to the outside of the box but it is for the purpose of tipping the box up for display purposes. When in the tipped position the inside of the lid to the box is not readily seen so is no value for attaching an inventory list or other information to the inside of lid.
In some applications where a box is relatively small and is used for a purpose, such as carrying a set of eyeglass frames and lenses that are being ground to a prescription and then being inserted in the frames, there is a need to be able to store a relatively large number of the boxes in a small area for convenience. Merely stacking the boxes is not acceptable. To obtain a box on the bottom of a stack is a nuisance and may cause boxes on top of the desired box to fall. If conventional flat shelving is used, or pigeon hole shelving is used, they are sometimes unacceptable because they are relatively heavy, collect dust and thus cannot be used in clean room type environments. Also, when flat shelving is used other boxes may accidently be knocked off a shelf and damage the contents of the unwanted boxes.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a storage box having a lid that can retain the contents of the box therein when the box is inadvertently dropped or inverted.
There is also a need for such a storage box that can be locked to the box in a simple manner and in a way that it can always be easily removed.
In addition, there is a need for a mounting arrangement that permits the boxes to be stored in close proximity to each other in a way that permits each box to be easily obtained without disturbing other boxes, that prevents accidently knocking down boxes, and in a manner that will collect the least amount of dust.